The injury news raises the blood pressure a bit more than the standard ankle tweak after Williams suffered through all of last year with ankle problems in both feet. He suffered an ankle injury for Team USA in the summer of 2012, which Jerry Colangelo said may have impacted the shape he was in. Williams suffered with the injury for the first half of the season before having platelet rich plasma therapy before the All-Star break which helped him to a much better second half of the year.

Given his issues with the ankles, any problem that's enough to keep him out of any contest is enough to raise an eyebrow, but it's early. Veterans miss preseason games all the time. No reason to panic, but it's enough to prompt a twitch, if nothing else. Typically, long-term injuries that go from nagging to significant start with missing little bits of time and then drag on. He could be back for the Nets' game in Philadelphia against the Sixers on October 14th.